Passenger side airbag modules are normally mounted behind the instrument panel of a motor vehicle. The airbag module comprises a reaction canister which houses a cylindrical inflator and a folded airbag. It may also include a dust cover to protect the airbag and module components prior to installation in the vehicle. A breakaway portion of the instrument panel forms the cover of the airbag module. In the event of a vehicle collision, a remote collision sensor sends an electric signal to activate the inflator which rapidly generates a quantity of gas to inflate the airbag. Upon inflation, the airbag rapidly expands outward through the mouth of the reaction canister, breaking away the module cover portion of the instrument panel and deploying into the vehicle passenger compartment to cushion the vehicle passenger from injury-causing impact with interior structures.
During module assembly, it is customary to mount a pair of spring clips to the bottom wall of the reaction canister. The spring clips serve to secure the module in place behind the instrument panel during module installation and airbag deployment. However, the current practice requires the use of rivets to permanently fasten each clip to the reaction canister which has led to numerous problems. For instance, riveting of the spring clips to the module requires separate rivet assembly stations, which add to the module manufacturing costs. Rivet stations also slow down the module assembly time, reducing throughput on the production line. In addition, rivets are a major cause of reworking the module assembly due to the necessity of replacing broken or unfastened rivets. The elimination of rivets altogether from the manufacture of airbag modules would result in cost savings in module manufacturing and would lead to quicker module production.
What is needed is a quick, simple and reliable means for attaching module retention spring clips to a passenger side airbag module during module assembly without requiring the use of special tools or additional fasteners such as rivets.